Meghalaya: P A Sangma forms new political party

Former Lok Sabha Speaker Purno A Sangma who is now out of the Nationalist Congress Party has formed Nationalist People's Party, a new political party in Meghalaya to contest the next round of Assembly elections in the northeastern hill State in early 2013

Sangma who lost out in the race to the Raisina Hills to Congress veteran Panab Mukherjee, is now doing the ground work to consolidate his new political party in Meghalaya so that he could at least become the king maker if not the king after next assembly polls.

The veteran politician who was the mainstay of NCP in the northeast, is now meeting various regional party chiefs in Meghalaya in order to forge a pre-poll alliance to defeat the ruling Congress.

He has called on United Democratic Party working president Paul Lyngdoh, president of Hill State People's Democratic Party, H S Lyngdoh. These two regional parties in Meghalaya had extended their support to Sangma during the Presidential election that he lost.

A source close to Sangma said, the former Lok Sabha speaker had visited the residences of both the leaders to express his gratefulness for supporting him during the recent Presidential election.

During the course of discussion with two leaders, Sangma expressed his desire to have a pre-poll alliance with all like-minded parties especially with the non-Congress forces.

Sources said Sangma discussed several important issues concerning Meghalaya with the HSPDP chief who made it clear that alliance with the NPP will be possible only if the latter supports the HSPDP's long-standing demand for a separate Khasi-Jaintia state to be carved out of Meghalaya.

Sangma who is from Garo tribe community is from Garo Hills areas of Meghalaya which is comprised of Khasi Hills, Jaintia Hills and Garo Hills areas. Khasi, Jaintia and Garo are three principal tribes in Meghalaya.